Circles
by jazznsmoke
Summary: Daryl's faced with the hardest choice. Merle gets them into a world of trouble. Will Daryl do what he feels he needs to do to protect the one he loves the most? AU, no zombies. 2 Shot. This one is for Kevkye and Beyondmythought-s for being amazing. :*


_Pounding on the door and when he opened it he was face to face with Phillip Blake, the self proclaimed Governor. Daryl wanted to back track and quickly shut the door, even if he knew it wouldn't keep the man and his goons from breaking the door down and entering the apartment. His thoughts went to his Beth in the bedroom, oblivious to someone being at the door, blissfully asleep last he'd looked. _

_"Nice to see you, Dixon." The Governor's voice ate at Daryl's ears, making him inwardly cringe. This visit could only mean Merle fucked up and this wouldn't be a pleasant visit. Admittedly, when it came to the Governor, nothing is pleasant. "Are you going to invite us in?" He motioned towards his two cronies standing directly behind him. _

_Not seeing that he had much choice he nodded and stepped to the side, letting them into the living room. They glanced around, and The Governor sat on the arm of the couch, perched on the edge of it. "Your brother owes me..His payment is late. If he doesn't pay soon I'll be forced to take my payment in a different way. Since the only thing he seems to care about is-"_

_"Babe? Have you seen my shirt?" Came Beth's sleep coated voice from the bedroom. _

_"I'll be there inna minute," Daryl called out, feeling panicked. He'd hoped she would stay asleep until after the Governor's visit. He could only hope she would stay put until they left. _

_"The only things he cares about is you and that blonde you have in your bedroom." The Governor hissed, "I'd hate for something to happen to you. If I were you, I'd be sure your brother pays his debt, and quickly." _

_He and his men stood up after his statement and they left the apartment, the Governor leaving with a look over his shoulder, "I don't give empty threats, Daryl."_

_Daryl locked the door behind them and sunk against it, his heart racing. __**If the Governor hadn't been feeling charitable something coulda happened to Beth. She can't get put in the middle of this shit. **__With a resolve he didn't realize he had he walked into the bedroom, putting a mask on his features to hide the way he was really feeling. He took a deep breath and took in the sight of Beth standing before him, wiggling as she pulled her pants up and over her hips. She smiled brightly at him before the smile faded away, noting his closed off look. _

_"Daryl? Are you okay?" _

_"'M fine. We need ta talk." His voice sounded hollow, even to his own ears. _

_"What's goin' on, Daryl?" _

_"Ya need to leave. Pack yer stuff an' go. Go back ta yer place an' don't come back."_

_"What're you saying?" She barely whispered her questioned._

_"I'm sayin' this is over." _

_"Daryl..." Her blue eyes started to water. "Why?"_

_He thought about it for half a second, racking his brain for something that would tear her heart open and make her leave, not question his motives for another second; Something that would do irrevocable damage and do what needed to be done. "'Cause it weren't ever anything more than just sex for me. I'm sick o' pretendin' it was more jus' so I can get laid." His voice took on the icy edge that it always did when he had to clean up one of Merle's messes-which, let's be honest here, was often- and a note of finality to it._

_He watched as he broke her heart, the pieces scattering onto the floor in between them. _

_He watched as she swallowed back her tears-His Beth wouldn't dare cry in front of the person who'd hurt her. Even behind his mask of not caring he felt pride swell up. She straightened her shoulders and spoke quietly, her voice equally icy. "Daryl Dixon...Everyone warned me to stay away from Daryl Dixon an' his no good brother-I'd just end up with a broken heart. I didn't believe them then and I hate to believe them now. If this was really just sex to you..." She stopped and took a sharp breath. "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon." _

_He felt his own heart shatter at her words. He heard the truth in her statement; Knew that he would miss her when she walked out of his apartment, hell he already missed her like crazy. He turned around and stalked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He went to the living room and gathered the few things she'd brought over and put in the living room. He'd been planning on asking her to officially move in, in the next few weeks. He put them in a plastic sack from under his kitchen sink and then went and leaned against a wall, waiting impatiently for her to leave so he could let the mask slip away. _

_She left his room with a duffel bag filled with stuff, and set the bag by the door, before going to the bathroom and getting any of her belongings from there. She tossed the bag of bathroom stuff by the door as well and mumbled under her breath, his hunter's ears picking up the mumbles easily. "Good thing I drove my own car. Stupid, idiotic stubborn moron." The name calling went on for a few moments and he allowed himself a small smile while her back was turned to him. She fumbled with her key chain for a moment before stalking to him and slamming his apartment key into his chest. She turned and walked away, picking her own stuff up and stalking out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her, before he'd even gotten his hand around the key as it started to fall to the ground. _

He heard his front door slam against the wall, pulling him back from his thoughts. "Daryl!" Maggie Greene's voice called out. "Is Beth here? I haven't heard from her in a week and a half!" She came barging into his bedroom before he'd stop what he'd been doing- Folding clothes carelessly into bags. "What're you doin'?" She asked as she stopped mid-step.

"I ain't seen Beth either."

"How long since you last saw her?"

"Same's you, probably,"

Maggie's eyes widened and she looked confused. "You haven't seen her in a week and a half and you haven't gotten worried? Why does it look like you're leaving? Where IS Beth? It's not like her to not have called me." Maggie got shriller and her words started to jumble together a little.

_"If ya weren't such a goddamn fuck up, Merle, I wouldn't have to lose the one fuckin' thing I give a shit about. Ya best figure out a way ta pay that money."_

_"It'll all blow over, little brotha. Ya know that little angel ain't gonna be able ta stay away from ya an' ole Merle." _

_"Shut the hell up." _

_"Listen, Darylina. It ain't a big deal. I got his money right here. I'll take him his damn money an' ya can get back wit' yer little girlfriend." _

_"There ain't no 'gettin back' wit' her, Merle. Ya listenin' at all?" Daryl hissed as he took a step into Merle's face, a challenge to his brother for the first time in their lives. "Bein' related ta ya means it ain't safe for her. Bein' near me is jus' gonna get her killed, like it could have if she weren't asleep when the Governor came visitin'. There ain't no comin' back from what I said and did to her." _

"We broke up. She ain't called ya in a week an' a half?" Daryl threw the clothes in his hand haphazardly on his bed and motioned for Maggie to sit.

"No." Maggie all but wailed.

More to himself than to her, "She can barely go half a damn day wit' out callin' ya. Much less a fuckin' week." He pulled his phone out and made to dial Beth but stopped himself. "Ya been by her place yet?"

Maggie shook her head. "No. She's never there, she's always here." _His chest constantly felt tight-Like he wasn't getting enough oxygen to his lungs. He'd felt like that since the moment the door shut behind her as she left his apartment for the last time. _

"A'right. Lemme try her phone." He dialed Beth hesitantly. He knew she probably wouldn't answer. Not after the way he had ended things between them. He listened as he went straight to voice mail and didn't get a single ring before it did so. He hung up and tried again, getting the same result. "Beth, it's me. If ya get this give ya sista or me a call. She's lookin' for ya." He hung up after he left his voicemail. "Why don't I drive ya ta her place an' ya can see if she's there or not. 'M sure she is."

Maggie nodded and he took her to his truck. They drove in silence for the first fifteen minutes, Maggie worrying and biting her nails and Daryl feeling too awkward and not knowing what he was supposed to say to his ex girlfriends big sister. "Why'd you guys break up?" She finally asked.

_He couldn't get his mind off of how perfect she was, and how much he missed her. He couldn't get the look in her eyes out of his head, the one she gave him that was so filled with hurt and anguish as he lied to her face about not loving her. His brain and heart reminded him how worthless he truly is without her light there to bring out the good in him. _

Daryl refused to look over at Maggie as he answered. "Didn't want the same things she did. Didn't love her."

"Bull shit." Maggie spat the words out. "There ain't a bigger lie in the world. You loved her more than anything. Tell me the real reason, Dixon."

Daryl finally looked over at her. Their eyes met and he sighed. "Fine. I broke up wit' her ta protect her. Bein' near me...an' Merle is just gonna get her hurt or worse."

"Why do you think that, Daryl? Whatever's got you scared enough to break up with my sister...Do you think that's why she's MIA?" Maggie's voice sounded close to hysterical.

Daryl's thoughts began to race. **Is Beth actually missing? Fuck! Did the fuckin' Governor take my Beth? **He took a deep breath to try and calm his mind. When he got his thoughts under control he looked over at Maggie for a second before pulling off the road and looking at her. "We'll know for sure when we get ta her place. If she's gone cause o' this shit, I'll fuckin' find her. I promise ya."

**Everything will be fine. She's gonna be in her apartment...Eatin' from a carton of ice cream or whatever it is that chicks do when they're dealin' with a damn broken heart; the broken heart ya fuckin' caused. **His mind warred with itself. He couldn't lie to himself convincingly enough that she'd be there, that there was no reason for Maggie to worry, let alone for him to worry.

_He went about his day to day business, mumbling under his breath whenever he could his new mantra of, "I don't love her. I don't love her. I don't love her." He told himself that if he repeated it enough times he'd start to believe it. _

They took another moment and then Daryl was driving again. The closer they got to her apartment, a duplex on the edge of town, he felt the hand around his heart grow tighter and tighter as dread filled him.

They pulled into Beth's duplex and Daryl noted that her car wasn't in her spot. He knew it wasn't at his house-he'd been in and out of his apartment numerous times to deal with Merle and he would have noticed her car. Maggie and he got out and knocked on the door. When there wasn't an answer they peered into the front window. Then they went to the neighbors and asked if they'd seen Beth come or go that past week and a half. They hadn't. Daryl patted Maggie's shoulder in reassurance and led her back to Beth's side of the duplex.

He rooted around in her potted plants outside the door and held up her spare key triumphantly. "Yer sister ain't original with shit like this. Check an' see if it looks like she's been here. If not I got a couple calls ta make." Daryl unlocked the door, dread still filling him. They looked around, calling her name as they looked through the rooms. The place was untouched. He led the stony eyed Maggie outside and helped her into his truck before walking to the back of the duplex and dialing Merle.

"Beth's missin'. Call him an' get her back." Daryl hissed before Merle had the chance to say anything other than "Little brotha,"

"He's got her." Merle's voice filled with remorse. "I had his money an' gave it to him. We'll get yer woman back. I promise, little brotha. He wants me an' ya ta meet him at his factory."

"I got her sista wit' me. Ain't no way I can get away from her."

"Then ya best keep her up ta speed an' give her a fuckin' gun."

They hung up after arranging to meet a few miles from the Governors factory. Daryl went back to his truck and told Maggie of what he'd found out, telling her the entire story. "I'm goin' with you." She announced, as he'd expected.

He reached into his glove box and pulled out a Springfield and handed it to her. "It's loaded. Ya know how ta use it. Shoot ta kill, not ta incapacitate. Stay hidden in the truck as much as ya can."

They met with Merle and the three of them squeezed into the cab of the truck and drove the last little ways. Merle handed Daryl a pistol and checked his own, both men sticking the guns in the back of their jeans, covering the guns with their shirts and vests.

They went inside the factory with Maggie tucked safely into the truck. They were 'greeted' by four of the Governor's men that led them into the factory and into an empty room. They stood in the center of it and waited for the Governor, neither brother talking. Daryl fought to keep his face neutral when the Governor came in with two of his men dragging a dirty Beth between them. They let her fall to her knees in front of the Dixon's.

His resolve to get her out of there and then distance himself from her was strengthened every second he saw her in this situation.

"Glad to see you've finally noticed someone was missing. I was starting to get bored with her."

Beth's blue eyes stayed focused on Daryl and Merle, silently pleading for them to get her out of there. Daryl forced his eyes away from her, feigning disinterest. Merle nodded to her, mouthing 'Yer gonna be okay.' before turning to look at the man with one eye.

"You didn't miss your girlfriend at all, huh, Daryl?"

"Ain't my girlfriend anymore."

"Oh? And why is that? You two seemed so happy." He sneered.

Daryl kept his mask on. "Sick o' pretendin' I loved the bitch just ta get laid." He saw the way she flinched at his words from the corner of his eye. Heard the barely audible sigh from Merle. "Only here 'cause I ain't gonna get no fuckin' peace from her family if I don't get the bitch back."

The Governor started laughing. "I think something can be arranged."

"What do ya want?" Merle questioned.

"I think you need to learn a lesson, still." He grinned. "I know at least one of you has a soft spot for this sweet thing." He nodded his head at the bigger goon and the man struck Beth with the back of his hand across her face. "You see, I was thinking about something a little more dramatic...Like taking your hand or something. Which hand would you prefer to lose? I think I'll let you keep your jerk off hand. A man can only be so cruel. No. Maybe I'll take one of her hands? That seems like more fun." He rambled on as if he were talking more to himself than to any of them.

"Wait." Merle called out, flinching visibly as another blow to Beth's face happened. Daryl forced himself into a dark corner in his mind, reminding himself that he has to keep up his charade of not caring, even if his fingers itched to reach behind him and pull out the gun and shoot everyone of the mother fuckers in between the eyes.

"Do you have an alternative?" The Governors voiced filled with an odd glee.

"Yea, mother fucker. Why don't I kill ya instead?" There was no time to even blink before Merle's gun was out and he fired at the man closest to Beth. Daryl followed suit, pulling his gun out and shooting the other men in the room. Luckily for Daryl he'd been watching his brother closely and recognized his tells and small signals. He knew the exact moment his brother decided on his course of action. Merle and Daryl both turned and shot the Governor at the same time. None of the men in the room had been smart enough to frisk them and check for weapons, and none of them had time to draw their weapons.

They stopped firing their guns and listened closely for sounds of more people coming. The brothers hid their surprise that there wasn't anyone else in the building. How could the Governor have been stupid enough to think that a total of four men would be enough to endure the wrath of Dixon's when something of theirs was taken?

Daryl stood guard by the door while Merle went over and untied Beth's hands and helped her to her feet. She threw her arms around him and looked as if she wanted to run to Daryl but didn't. Daryl glanced over at Beth with her arms wrapped around Merle's waist, leaning heavily on him. His brother nodded to him and Daryl led them to the truck and Maggie. Maggie jumped out of the truck and ran to cover the distance between herself and her sister. Beth staggered a few steps forward with Merle helping her, to Maggie's arms. The sisters collapsed together on the ground in a heap of tears. Daryl kept his eyes trained ahead as he went to the truck and leaned against it. He was joined by Merle a few moments later.

"Drop me at yer bike an take 'em home, Merle. I'm goin' back ta my place an' packin' my shit. Yer bike an' keys will be at the apartment. I won't need 'em."

"Ya sure 'bout this, little brotha?"

Daryl turned and looked his brother dead in the eyes. "This was 'xactly what I didn't want ta happen. Bein' near me an' ya is gonna get her killed. Bein' a Dixon is a fuckin' curse an' I ain't puttin' that on her again. If ya cared about anythin' other than yer damn self ya'd cut her outta yer life too."

"She ain't gonna give up on ya so damn easily,"

"She already has. She's young an' will find someone else." He replied and jumped into the bed of the truck, sitting on the wheel well. Beth and Maggie slowly stood up, Beth leaning into her as she had with Merle to the truck.

Maggie and Beth exchanged a look and Maggie left her standing against the bed of the truck, looking up at Daryl who tried not to visibly gulp. "Daryl." He starred at her, waiting for her to say something else. "Did you mean it? All that you've said?"

"Yeah, I meant it." His voice was flat but he knew his eyes gave everything away, despite trying his hardest to keep his mask in place. She gave him a look, that signature Beth look of 'I know you're lying and I wish you'd stop. I can see right through you.' A deep breath and a sigh later he was saying. "It ain't fuckin' easy, what I'm doin'. But it's for the best even if ya don't see it." With that he turned away from her, so as not to see her tear filled eyes and end the conversation. He refused to give her the chance to change his mind.

"I hope you change your mind. I'm not giving up on you, or us. I love you, Daryl Dixon." She whispered the words so only he could hear, not that Maggie or Merle were near enough to actually hear their conversation. Both were in the cab of the truck waiting on them.

Daryl turned his head just slightly and whispered back as he watched her hobble towards the cab of the truck, "Love ya too, princess. Jus' remember I'm doin' this ta save ya. " The last sentence was spoken so quietly he wasn't certain that he'd even said it aloud. She hesitated mid step before continuing on and swinging into the truck with Maggie helping her from inside.

Merle started the truck and off they went to where they'd left Merle's motorcycle. Daryl hopped out of the bed of the truck and Merle tossed him his keys from the window. "Ya know where it'll be." Daryl said, catching the keys in mid air. He climbed onto the bike and ignored the helmet strapped to the back, started it and took off before Merle could pull forward. He rode at 70+ miles an hour the entire ride to his apartment, relishing the feeling of the wind in his hair, the sound of it blocking all sounds including the thoughts going in circles around his head.

He walked in his apartment and was assaulted with the smell of vanilla from the candles Beth kept scattered across his apartment. Even though it had been days since they'd last been burned the scent lingered in the air, nearly bringing him to his knees. The weight of walking away from her again, without a backward glance weighing him down. He forced himself not to fall to his knees there in the door way of his apartment, and went to his bedroom where he'd abandoned his packing. He continued throwing things into his duffle and zipped it half shut. He looked around his bedroom and grabbed a framed photo of himself and Beth, them standing in front of a lake from their first weekend getaway together. Then he went to the living room and took down the framed photo of them kissing with the sunset behind them, and stuffed them into his bag. He set his bag down and sat at the table, grabbing a pen and paper.

He scrawled a letter to Beth for Merle to give to her later.

**I ain't ever been good at saying goodbye. I know I said shit that you hate me fer. It's for the best and it was the only way of accomplishing what I needed to happen. I'll always love ya. Your it for me. I don't want ya wasting your life waiting fer me to come back. It ain't happening. I know you'll find someone else, Beth Greene. An angel like you won't be alone fer long. I wish I didn't have this curse hanging over my head. If things were different I'd stick around and I'd try to be someone you would have been proud to have by your side. What I'm doing is like I'm killing a piece of myself and I know your heart is broken. I did that. Go fix it. Youve got a good family that loves ya and there are better folk out there fer ya than Dixons. Everything will be okay, don't forget the words youve said to me a million times. **

**Love ya forever,**

**D. **

The letter took him a long time to write, however short it really was. Writing the words down came easier than he'd expected. He thought about re-writing it, putting in an effort to figure out any misspelled words and fixing his grammar but knew she'd love it, and like it the way it is; staying true to himself. He folded the paper in half and stuck it in an envelope, sealing it and scrawling Beth across the front of it. He taped it to the fridge and scrawled another note, this time to Merle. This one he'd leave in the saddle bag of Merle's bike.

**Anything in the apartment ya can have or sell. I don't give a shit about any of it. If she wants somethin from inside give it to her. The trucks yours. I signed the title over to ya already. Apartment is paid for until next month. You got the truck/apartment keys and your keys are in the freezer. Give that letter on the fridge to Beth when ya think the time is right. See ya around, Brotha.**

**Daryl**

He locked the apartment behind him, a final glance at the place and went to Merle's bike, doing as he'd planned with the letter and then wandered down the road to a bus stop. He took the bus to a bank, withdrew all of his savings, closed the account and hoped on a Greyhound, buying a ticket to the first place on the board he saw. Idaho. Why the hell not? He didn't have a reason to stick around in one spot anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I did it again. I started a new fic. This one is only a two part. I'm working on the second chapter, and it should be up in the next few days. Thanks to everyone who has been patient about my updates and has been so supportive of me and my writing. I love and adore you all. Let me know what you think of this story. It's based on the song Circles by Hollywood Undead.


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